As a former Penn State running back, John Greene has been under his share of pressure. When he begins a new career as executive director of the Big 33 Scholarship Foundation on Oct. 15, he will face the pressure of continuing the tradition of an organization that faces an unsteady future.
Greene, a former employee at Merrill Lynch and IBM, has spent the last seven years helping to raise millions of dollars for Penn State as its associate director of athletic development. He hopes that experience will help him steady the Big 33.
"The Big 33 is a great brand name," he said, "and I've been with great names before. Hopefully I can bring a culmination of experiences with those organizations together into the Big 33."
Each year, the Big 33 matches top graduating high school football players from Pennsylvania and Ohio against each other at Hersheypark Stadium. Despite its storied past, the status of the Big 33 has been uncertain in recent years because of changes in NCAA rules and the inability of Ohio to commit its top players to the event.
Gateway High School head coach and former Big 33 participant Terry Smith -- who also happens to be Penn State corner back Justin King's stepfather -- has faith that Greene can lead the organization in the right direction.
"John Greene will take the Big 33 to another level of progression," Smith said. "He will bring creative ideas and thoughts to make the game bigger and better than ever."
Because of a new NCAA rule that allows incoming freshman football players to attend summer classes on scholarship, the Big 33 was forced to move the game from its traditional August date to mid-June. The game now falls on the same day as the Ohio North-South classic, which is the top choice for many of the elite Ohio players.
State College Area High School athletic director and former Big 33 head coach Ron Pavlechko acknowledged the Big 33 is facing some problems, but he believes that those issues can be overcome.
"The change in game date certainly has forced a re-examination of how the game and all of its peripheral activities can be conducted," Pavlechko said. "However, I believe that John and his staff and the persons interested in supporting the event will do that review in a fresh way."
The Big 33 is not just about the game, as the event encompasses many activities for its participants and other youth. The foundation has awarded 3,288 scholarships in its 50-year history.
Nearly 200 volunteers are working with the organization, and Greene is making it a priority to keep them working with him.
As for the future of the game itself, Greene believes that the commitment with Ohio will continue for the foreseeable future.
The Big 33 and the Ohio Scholastic Football Coaches Association have a good relationship, and he has no plans for a change.
With the states bordering each other and Penn State now a member of the Big Ten with Ohio State, he likened the experience to "playing against your brother."
"With the current week selection it makes it tough on the Ohio players to choose between their state all-star game and the Big 33," Smith said. "I'm sure John will figure it out and take the game to heights it has never seen."
The Big 33 has had its problems over the past few years, but record TV ratings and more than $295,000 in academic scholarships awarded in 2007 show that the organization can continue to succeed in its mission of showcasing excellence in youth.
It is up to Greene to keep the Big 33's legacy strong, and Pavlechko believes he will be successful.
"The Big 33 is truly one of America's great celebrations," Pavlechko said, "and I think it will continue."
